Bill Easums Observations

The Incarnational Conversations 

This is the third in a series of observations on some of the more significant conversations occuring within Christianity that will have a profound impact on the church. You might want to  first read the two previous posts on this theme. 

Alan Hirsch is the primary mover and shaker of the Incarnational movement. You can see his blog at http://www.theforgottenways.org/blog/. You can also click here to see a book review I did of his book, The Forgotten Ways.

Alan’s primary message is the U.S. Christianity is only reaching 35% of the population and that number is shrinking. In order to reach the rest of the postmoderns we must go back to first century ways of doing ministry and that spells trouble for the institutional church.

Incarnational church leaders focus on going to where people are instead of attracting people to come to them. The incarnational church (most of which are fledglings groups) sends people out into the culture to spread the seeds of Christianity. Having a worship service and doing things to attract people to the church aren’t a concern. Relationships and friendships among the neighborhoods where one lives are their primary concern.  The Incarnational model is seeking to bring the church back to its historical roots and free it from its institutionally dominated understanding of what it means to be a church.  However, taken to its ultimate conclusion, the institutional church isn’t needed. Most of the incarnational churches exist apart from any form of institutional church and are more akin to house churches.

Alan’s first book, The Shaping of Things to Come, is a book that should be read by every Christian who knows something is wrong with today’s version of Christianity but can’t put their finger on what it is. The authors challenge every facet of Christianity today from ordination to the traditional creeds and offer a new, but ancient, way forward. It is well worth the read because it will open your eyes to some possible ways to redo or undo your ministry. 

Throughout the book I found myself saying “Yes, But!” On one level I envy the journey on which they invite us to join them. On another level I wonder what will become of the institutional church if what they propose is followed.  They are surely on to something, but following it might totally destroy the church as we know it. They go far beyond “reshaping” or talking about innovation as is found on the cover.  A better title for the book might be “The Rewiring of Things to Come: The Beginning of a Revolution.”

The authors are advocating a wholesale rewiring of Christianity back its 21st century roots. They actually show how to be the church without being institutional at all. They talk about a missional, incarnational, messianic, apostolic church that is found within the surrounding community rather than within the four walls of a church.

Although I agree with Hirsch about the church forgetting what it means to be the church, I feel it’s impossible for Christianity to survive without the institution in a society where institutions are part of the basic fabric of life. I know Christianity flourished under Mao in China without any institutions, but that was China in a day when public institutions were not part of the fabric of society.

So, here’s my question in the Incarnationalists: Should we downplay the importance of the institutional church just because the vast majority of them are ineffective and do not reflect the spirit of Christ or should we seek to return them to their biblical roots? Can a totally non-institutional church thrive in a society based totally on institutions? If you really hold  to your beliefs, why do you still leave room for the institutional church?

Next week I will take a look at the Organic Movement, which some might put in the same camp as the Incarnationalists, but I don’t. I will give special attention to Viola’s new book, Reimagining Church.